Funeral for 3 fallen RCMP officers to be held Tuesday in Moncton

The three Mounties who were killed in a Moncton, N.B. shooting rampage will be remembered in a regimental funeral on Tuesday, the RCMP said.

In a statement released Saturday, the RCMP said a funeral for Const. David Ross, Const. Fabrice Georges Gevaudan and Const. Douglas James Larche will take place June 10 at the Moncton Coliseum at 1 p.m. local time. A parade of law enforcement members from across Canada will take place before the funeral.

The three Mounties were killed on Wednesday in the line of duty when a heavily armed suspect opened fire in north Moncton. Two other officers, Const. Darlene Goguen and Const. Eric Dubois, were wounded in the attack.

A memorial fund has also been created on behalf of the families of the three RCMP officers.

Dash-8 plane helped police capture Moncton shooting suspect

On Saturday, CTV News learned that Transport Canada played a pivotal role in helping police capture alleged Moncton shooter Justin Bourque following a massive 30-hour manhunt that forced parts of Moncton into lockdown.

Police used a borrowed high-tech surveillance plane with an advanced camera to identify Bourque’s hiding spot in the woods, Transport Canada confirmed in an email to CTV News.

The aircraft, a Dash-8 used by the National Aerial Surveillance Program, is typically used to patrol the Canadian coastline, according to Transport Canada. The Dash-8 was redirected to Moncton to assist in the search on Thursday night. Once in the air, the plane's crew used its advanced heat-sensing camera to find Bourque's hiding spot in the woods.

RCMP officers then surrounded Bourque, prompting the suspect to throw up his hands and shout “I’m done.”

Police said Friday that a citizen tipped them off to where Bourque might be hiding.

The Dash-8’s MX15 infrared camera is used in medium-altitude covert surveillance around the world, according to L-3 WESCAM, the camera’s manufacturer. The camera uses electro-optical and infrared lenses to produce a blended high-definition image.

Federal Minister of Transport Lisa Raitt praised Transport Canada’s role in the takedown on Saturday morning. “Proud of the NASP team,” she tweeted.

Earlier Saturday, investigators were searching the wooded area where Bourque was apprehended for evidence in the case.

Bourque, 24, appeared in court on Friday. He is charged with three counts of first-degree murder and two counts of attempted murder.

Bourque's lawyer declined to have him undergo a psychological assessment.

His next court appearance has been set for July 3.

Shared sorrow

Outside the Codiac RCMP headquarters in downtown Moncton, a makeshift memorial of flowers, balloons and messages continued to grow Saturday as the community grieves the loss of the three young officers.

"I just really appreciate how much (the RCMP) does for everybody," local resident Victor Galloway told CTV Atlantic on Saturday. “And the fact that they put (their lives) on the line every single day."

The mother of one of the slain officers visited the site of the shooting on Saturday. Const. Douglas James Larche's mother clutched a photo of her son as she grieved behind the cordoned-off police area.

Photos

A resident is hugged by an officer at the corner of Mailhot Avenue and Isington Street in Moncton, N.B. on Saturday, June 7, 2014 where one of three RCMP officers was shot to death. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Sean Kilpatrick

Minister of Transport Lisa Raitt, second left, inspects a Dash-8 surveillance aircraft in Richmond, B.C., in this file photo from Wednesday, February 19, 2014. (THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck)

Police officers head from the court appearance of Justin Bourque, the suspect in one of the worst mass shootings in the RCMP's history, in Moncton, N.B. on Friday, June 6, 2014. (Andrew Vaughan / THE CANADIAN PRESS)